The Spirit of Remembrance
by Laurnadoon
Summary: Left in a strange world with nothing but instinct, Haku must strive to regather his memories and return to the place where he truly belongs.
1. Chapter 1

Haku wrenched his eyes open, the sun scorching his pupils as they dilated.

Buildings, a group of humans, and strange mechanical machines all leaned into him, blocking the sun light and leaving his mind in darkness. He lifted his hand to find it imprinted with the pricks of the dark spiky asphalt beneath him.

With no memory of how he got there, no knowledge of the land, and a splitting migraine Haku stared up into the sky.

Now that's something he knew! The big clear blue expanse that drifted listlessly above beckoned him with its soft caress. To the surprise of the onlookers in the street, Haku rose to his feet and attempted to channel his magic that would enable him to fly. Feeling strange and uncertain, Haku took a leap into the endless beauty of crystal-clear freedom. For a moment the wind caught hold of him and carried him upward.

For a moment he was free.

Only a moment…

His dead weight plummeted toward the ground as his stomach rose to his throat. The point of contact was much more painful than he expected. Letting out a howl of pain and rubbing his temples in a circular motion, Haku listened to the mutterings around him. A boy of Chihiro's age came forward to speak to him, but Haku only gapped at his flapping mouth, his mind clearly absent. With a heavy sigh, the boy turned and waved all of the other humans away. Reluctantly, they began to retreat, but not without one last look at the boy in the strange clothes who had seemingly fallen from the sky. The boy turned back around and offered Haku a hand, which he hesitantly took.

The mysterious boy led him away from the now empty street while his orange hair rustled in the wandering breeze. In a blur of color, the boy turned and studied Haku with his eyes of piercing deep emerald.

"Who are you?" The boy questioned, his eyes shining with the upmost sense of curiosity.

Haku only gazed to the distance as the boy's eyes bore into him. Expelling the air from his lungs in a forceful huff, the boy grasped Haku's arm. Feeling a primal instinct of threat, Haku glared at the boy in warning only moments before circling his arm and flinging the boy into the air. The thud of a body falling against the ground was just enough to pull Haku out of his mindless stupor.

"I am terribly sorry. I have no idea how that happened." He apologized quickly helping the boy from the ground.

The boy looked at him grudgingly before his eyes softened and he replied, "Yeah, I thought you looked a little out of it, but not that far gone… By the way my name is Kai. I live down the street. You are not from here, are you? Because I figured that I had been around here long enough to know everyone that lives here. What's your name anyway?"

Kai watched as the stranger's eyes dilated in thought and then widened with astonishment.

"I do not know…"

"What do you mean you don't know!" Kai screeched in disbelief. "Maybe you hit your head a lot harder than I thought…do you remember anything...where you came from…why you're here?"

Haku felt his knees buckle under the weight of his discovery. He brought his forehead into the cold grass and rammed his eyes shut. He searched his memory, for something, anything that would connect him to who he was or what he was. Nothing was familiar to him, not the streets, nor the houses. The foliage was foreign to him. The only feeling of comfort he gathered was radiating from the sky. His heart gave a sharp tug in his chest as he longed for its familiarity.

"No…" He whimpered. Suddenly he felt the world close in on him. Darkness swept through him like a winter chill, filing him from the tips of his toes upward. He began to shiver as panic overtook his senses. He had not noticed that there was a hand on his shoulder, until it gave him a reassuring squeeze.

He jumped up at the contact and turned towards Kai, who took a step back in fear of getting a face full of grass yet again.

"Whoa, its ok! This trauma induced memory loss stuff is usually only temporary."

Haku was not comforted by his words, only saddened by his concern.

"I am very sorry to have bothered you." He blurted out and took one step away, and then another. Before he knew what his own body was doing, Haku had shifted into a dead sprint. The where, he had no idea. He just knew he had to get away. Away from Kai, from the houses and the streets and the people who were looking at him with quizzical expressions clearly displayed upon their curious faces.

He didn't know where or why, but he kept running.

Away from everything.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHIHIRO**

Chihiro waded into the water as the sun dipped below the horizon and darkness bled through the sky. She clenched her hands and struggled through the ever-rising water, desperately clawing her way to the human side. Her tears mingled with the vast ocean as she let out a wail of devastation and fury. She whirled around to face the figure that had caused her despair and immediately came face to face with a protruding nose.

"Yubaba…" She muttered to herself.

Yubaba tossed her head back and let out a terrible cackle. Chihiro felt her insides squirm and clench, as she looked her adversary in the eye.

"Where did you send him?" Chihiro demanded in a small voice, obviously still startled and uncomfortable around the witch's surprising and very unwelcome visit.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Yubaba sneered. "Unfortunately for you Chihiro, he won't remember you. I wiped out all of his memories. He doesn't even know his own name or where he came from! He doesn't remember his former life and most importantly he doesn't remember that he loved you…So he's never coming back, and your just setting yourself up for immense heartbreak if your thinking about looking for him. You can try as much as you like, but you will never succeed...Oh and best of all, he's human, so no magic."

Chihiro hardened her glare at the old witch, anger and hatred coursing through her veins. As Yubaba began to speak again, Chihiro no longer squirmed in discomfort but felt a fire beginning to consume her chest. This woman kept him from her once, but she was not going to do so again.

Her eyes closed as she gathered her confidence, then she remembered her stagnant heart. Her eyes flew open to bore into the witch's.

"You have imprisoned these people for too long! You think that you can come back and rid the world of Haku, thinking that I am just going to let you take the bathhouse back? You are sorely mistaken…" Chihiro spoke with a level voice, adding a small side smirk as she finished.

The witch never broke eye contact, exhibiting her obvious mirth in Chihiro's seemingly empty words.

"That's ridiculous, I always get what I want. Besides, what are you going to do about it, you're just a human." Yubaba said with a sickening smile plastered on her wrinkled face.

Chihiro allowed her smirk to blossom into a full fledged grin as she transformed, watching Yubaba's expression of mirth fade into one of surprise and then terror as she realized that this was a battle she could not win. Dragons were dangerous and one of the things Yubaba didn't want to deal with unless given the advantage.

Squinting her eyes at the newly formed dragon she spoke with caution but indubitable certainty.

"I will return…and you will die"

Then with a simple flick of her wrist, she vanished.


	3. Chapter 3

**HAKU**

When his human body finally grew tired, Haku's legs reached a screeching halt and became gelatinous. Falling to the ground with a heavy thud, he took several deep breaths as his eyes scrolled across the land. He was in a forest, with a stream, bubbling happily, taunting Haku with its freedom. It looked too familiar to him, reminding him of the pain of loosing his memories. He attempted to stand once more but found himself completely incapable, as he was too weak to even lift a finger. So he lay there on the lush grass and listened to the comforting sounds of the forest. He thought of many things before he finally drifted into a peaceful sleep. He thought about his identity and origins, his name, what he liked and hated, If he was in love…

He awoke to the bubbling spring, feeling the warmth of a new day. Except this time it was not the sun that provided him warmth but a sleeping girl lying beside him. He sat up with a start to find that his body did not hurt in the slightest, and that he was barely clothed.

Unfortunately, the movement woke his new companion.

"Haku, is something wrong?" She murmured, eyes slightly opened, squinting in the early morning sunlight.

"Yes, something is most definitely wrong…Is my name Haku?" He asked calmly, cocking his head to the side and rubbing his forehead as if trying to massage the information out of his brain.

However, the girl's reaction was anything but calm.

"What do you mean? How can you not know your name!...wait…That means you must not know me either…" Her shout dying into a whisper as she realized that one of her many nightmares was coming true…he forgot about her, just as Yubaba said.

"I knew it…" Chihiro breathed to herself, closing her eyes to concentrate on the task ahead.

His face was wiped blank as he searched his brain for any trace of a memory involving the young woman next to him, but at no avail.

Chihiro witnessed him as he fell into the vat of memories that were no longer there and composed herself to come to a seat beside him.

"Your name is Kohaku, and mine is Chihiro. You have known me since I was very young. We met for the first time when I almost drowned in the Kohaku River and you saved my life. When I was ten, I accidentally stumbled into the spirit world…your world. You tried to save me again, but I was forced to stay there to save my parents who had turned into pigs. You helped me find my way home. We became great friends. When I left you promised that we would meet again one day…so I waited. I realized very shortly after I left how much I missed you. I needed you in my life so badly…you were my best friend…Slowly, I fell in love with your memory."

"Love?" Haku's eyes widened. "I remember feeling love, complete adoration and faith…in a certain human girl…"

Chihiro gave him a small smile, which warmed his entire body, no matter how naked he was.

Haku jumped into the air, startling Chihiro to her feet. "It's you! You're the one I love. You grew up…"

Chihiro nodded enthusiastically as she watched Haku "Naturally when a stranger offered me the opportunity to see you again, I hastily agreed. Unfortunately, he only wanted me to get to you. You found me in his fortress and brought me here."

"Waru…" Haku's eyes darkened with loathing. "Yes, I remember him now. I remember what he did to you. What you did to rid the world of him."

Chihiro lowered her body to stabilize herself on the ground. She gently placed her head in her knees. "Yes, but I knew what I was giving up when I plunged that sword through my heart. It was well worth it to spend an eternity with you."

Haku's face fell as he realized that the pieces still didn't fit.

"How did I get here? How are you here? Why don't I remember any of this?" Haku mumbled to himself, trying to straighten the events in his head.

"Yubaba made you human Haku. She whipped out all your memories of being a river spirit. You only remember now because I'm in your subconscious." Haku grasped both of her arms and brought her face to his.

"I knew this didn't feel right…I'm not really awake, am I?" Haku breathed, wishing for the exact opposite.

Chihiro broke eye contact and stared at her shoes, shaking her head in confirming disappointment.

Haku let out a heavy sigh and then, much to Chihiro's surprise, leaned in and captured her lips with his. He kissed her hungrily, wrapping his hands around her waist and pulling her as close to him as possible. After a few moments he pulled away and saw tears start to flow from Chihiro's eyes.

"We will see each other again someday. I will find a way to remember everything and come back to you." Haku said, determination and certainty lacing his every word. "I love you, Chihiro."

She opened her eyes to look into his captivating emerald orbs one more time. This would be goodbye, for now…

"You promise?" She asked, a small tight-lipped smile forming on her face.

"I pledged my life to you with that ring Chihiro." He smiled as he glanced at the mizunaiya he had fashioned for her from the mystic waters of the bathhouse. "It would be difficult to marry you without ever seeing you again…"

Chihiro giggled in response. "Sooooooooo?"

Haku rolled his eyes his blushing fiancé and laughed with her. When they had finished he caressed both of her cheeks and brought his forehead to hers. With the seriousness he always carried with such ease, he smiled at her and gently said, "I promise."

He pulled Chihiro to him to kiss her one last time, but right before their lips touched…

He woke up.


	4. Chapter 4

CHIHIRO

Chihiro gasped as her body convulsed to wake her. She wrenched open her eyes to see Zeniba standing above her with a strained face, concentrating on the spell that had sent her into Haku's dreams. She sat up and placed a gentle hand on Zeniba's shoulder. Instantly the old witch opened her kind eyes and smiled. Her magic had served its purpose.

"Thanks Grannie," Chihiro said with a small smile on her face.

Zeniba watched the young woman as the smile on her face slowly fell into an expression of despair. However hope was still shining through in her eyes. "Anything for you dear, you know that." She said as she brought Chihiro to her feet. "Haku will come around eventually. He will remember a little more about himself and you every time you visit his subconscious. It will be hard work but in the end love always prevails."

Chihiro gazed into her second mother's loving face and knew that what she said was completely true as always. She let out an exhausted sigh and breathed with curiosity, "Is it possible for me to travel into the human world? Could you turn me into a human, like Yubaba did to Haku?" Hope dawned on Chihiro's face as she mused with the prospect of meeting Haku in her world.

Zeniba turned her eyes to the floor and let out a disappointed grunt. "Unfortunately no," She labored through the words for she knew that each was like a stab to Chihiro's heart. "The magic that my sister used on Haku is difficult but not forbidden. You see Haku never had a human life, but you did my dear. It is against the laws of this world to bring a human spirit back from the spirit world as they are meant to move on to their final resting place."

"So what happened to Haku, it's happened before?" Chihiro wondered aloud, hoping that Zeniba could give her the answers she wanted to hear.

"Yes, it is not unheard of for a spirit to transform into a human. They have done so throughout the centuries to solve many human issues that would have caused a balance disruption in the spirit world." She said carefully, watching Chihiro with the spirit of mischief in her eyes. "Chihiro… dear, you never told me how you became a spirit."

" I didn't think it was important, but if it makes any difference I will tell you." Chihiro muttered, her mind floating back to Waru's dark fortress.

Zeniba nodded, the laws of nature were complicated, and it was possible that Chihiro might have had the luck to land herself in a loophole.

With a heavy sigh Chihiro told Zeniba of the magic that tied her life to Waru's, the wedding that almost was, Haku's heroics, and finally with a choked gulp she told Zeniba about her choice for suicide in order to end Waru's life. By the end of her speech she had tears rolling gently down her face, while Zeniba had moved to her side to cradle her in her sadness.

"Sh, sh, shhhh, its ok Chihiro. You have been so very brave. You have always been courageous." She cooed as she rocked Chihiro back and forth on her bed. After a few minutes Chihiro had recovered from her tears and put forth a serious face.

"So does that change anything?" She asked sniffling her last traces of sadness away.

"Perhaps, it is very possible that fate did not intend for you to die that day. You took your own life, which would condemn most people, but instead of doing it out of selfishness, you did it to save someone you love…and that, my dear, may just be our answer." Zeniba said with a smirk gracing her kind features. "I will send you into his dreams every night until I have found a way to send you back, If nature is truly out of balance caused by the event of your untimely and selfless death, then nature and magic will give us a way to send you back."

Chihiro smiled graciously with relief at Zeniba's words. She had feared the worst.

"However…" Zeniba said cautiously once again. Chihiro's face fell into despair immediately. "You need a tie to the human world to make the magic flow properly. Is there anyone there that would be willing to open their minds to the spirit world? Your parents perhaps?"

After a few minutes of thoughtful consideration Chihiro responded, "My parents are too close minded, they stopped paying attention to me after I told them the truth about the spirit world. They didn't believe me…but someone did. A girl I met in town soon after we moved. She became my best friend and confidant for years. Her name is Rebekka."


	5. Chapter 5

HAKU

After wandering about the forest for several hours, Haku finally found himself back in the town he had woken up in that morning. He wandered around until he noticed that the sky had begun to turn into a myriad of pastels, distracting him from whatever path he had been on as he gazed up at its breathtaking beauty. Dusk was stealing the daylight at an increasingly rapid pace and soon he found himself in the middle of a deserted neighborhood of old houses with nothing to guide him but the light of the full moon. Keeping his footsteps as quiet as possible, he tiptoed through the residential labyrinth. The houses were incredibly unique, but all of them were similar in the traditional style. For some reason that he could not even begin to explain, he found himself at the most peace he had been that entire day.

However, that sense of calm abruptly ended when he came face to face with a small traditional bathhouse. A magnetic pull moved his feet forward to the ever increasing rate of his heart beat. Before he could reconsider his path, he felt his knuckles rapping on the door. The door swung open to reveal a beautiful red headed young woman. Her eyes widened at the sight of the disheveled man in traditional Japanese clothing and she instantly took a step back in caution.

"Hello," she breathed, her bright green orbs still wide with evident surprise before her manners found their way back to her brain and she graciously smiled. "Welcome to the Tanaka Onsen. How may I help you?"

Haku breathed deeply before attempting to speak, but no words came out. The woman gave him a quizzical look before quickly turning at the calling of a male voice.

"Hey sis…who is here so late?" The man came forward, running his fingers through his disheveled hair. She quickly stepped aside to allow her brother a glance at their new guest.

"Hey! It's you! I thought for sure you were a goner when you ran off into the woods after we met this morning…" Kai gave Haku a warm smile before grabbing his arm and pulling him into the building. "So how did you find me?" His eyes glinted in curiosity as Haku sputtered in surprise.

"Kai? I was not trying to…I was…I'm sorry I caused you trouble this morning." Haku finished with a hasty bow.

The red head let out a hearty chuckle before vigorously shaking his head. "No, no don't worry about that and you don't have to be so formal man, just chill out!"

Haku smiled sheepishly at his only friend and let out a soft chuckle before Kai addressed him again.

"So…do you remember anything now?" With this statement his sister cast him a quizzical look with narrowed eyes, desperately confused in this strange situation.

"My name is Haku!" he blurted out before even considering the question. Just as he was thinking of the oddities of this revelation, he had another one. "I think that I used to work in a bath house."

Kai smiled again before laughing at Haku's seemingly random outbursts and then let out a deep sigh. "Well that explains why you landed yourself here! You should stay with us for a little while. We have plenty of empty guest rooms, and it might help you remember your old life if you are in a familiar environment."

Haku quickly shook his head before bowing low before Kai. "I could never take advantage of such hospitality," he blurted out quickly, while trying to recede out the door.

However, before he could even get across the threshold, Kai was already pulling him inside, shutting the front door, and dragging him up the stairs, his sister following close behind them. "No, no I insist!" Kai shouted jovially as they reached the second floor landing.

"Rebekka, do you mind setting him up with a room?" Kai addressed his sister with a smile. "I'm going to bring up some food, Haku is probably starving!"

As if on cue, Haku felt a familiar rumbling in his stomach. "That is very gracious of you…thank you very much." Haku spoke before favoring his host with another gracious bow.

Kai chuckled and waved his hands wildly, indicating that Haku should stand back up. "Seriously dude, stop with the formality. We are friends now, right?" Kai eyed him with mirth.

"Of course, thank you Kai…and Rebekka." Haku straightened up to follow his hostess down a series of hallways to a guest room in the west wing.

Once inside the room Rebekka whirled around with a smile plastered to her face and stuck out her hand, "I'm Rebekka by the way, sorry that my brother didn't formally introduce me. He's an idiot sometimes…like all the time actually!"

Haku chuckled nervously at her brazenness and stared at her outstretched hand with curiosity. "My name is Haku…what am I supposed to do with that?" he added quietly, gesturing toward her outstretched hand.

"Huh?...You don't know what a handshake is? You must have really bumped your head pretty hard…" She murmured as a suspicious afterthought. "Well it's what you do when you meet someone new. Here, I'll show you!"

She quickly reached down and grabbed his hand, pulling it from his side and giving it a few firm shakes.

"Its nice to meet you Haku!" Rebekka giggled at the awkwardness of the situation as she shook.

"Yes, its lovely to make your acquaintance as well Rebekka." Haku said with sincerity.

Rebekka let out another light peal of laughter. "Your funny, you know that? Also, your name sounds familiar, are you sure your not from around here?"

"I'm not quite sure of anything anymore to be honest…" Haku sighed heavily.


End file.
